Three Russian Strategic Aviation Officers Responsible for Missile Strikes on Ukraine Killed in Tu-95MS Crash

Three officers involved in missile strikes on Ukraine were among those killed in the crash of a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber in the Amur Region.

A photo of the crew members killed in the crash was published by Mikhail Piven, head of the Mazanovsky Municipal District in the Amur Region.

They were Lt. Col. Fedor Pavlyukov and Majors Andrei Gerasimov and Andrei Lobanov.

The crash occurred on September 29, 2026, during a training flight in the Amur Region, near the village of Krasnoyarovo.

According to an official statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, six crew members were killed and another was injured and evacuated to a medical facility.

Who Was on Board

According to OSINT researcher Duke BG, photographs of eight people killed in the crash are arranged according to their positions within the crew, while the last two were passengers.

One of those killed was Lt. Col. Fedor Pavlyukov. According to the Ukrainian Book of Executioners project, Pavlyukov served as deputy commander for flight training of the 182nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. Previously, from August 2021 to April 2024, he commanded a Tu-95MS aviation squadron of the same regiment.

Pavlyukov was responsible for preparing flight crews to carry out combat missions and commanded a unit. Ukrainian researchers link him to the organization and execution of missile strikes against Ukraine.

The 182nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment is part of the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division and operates Tu-95MS strategic bombers. The 182nd Regiment had about 16 Tu-95MS aircraft.

The second identified officer was Maj. Andrei Gerasimov. According to the Book of Executioners, he was commander of a Tu-95MS aviation squadron of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Before that, from June 2022 to October 2024, he served as deputy squadron commander.

Gerasimov personally took part in combat sorties and may have been involved in organizing and carrying out cruise missile launches during mass strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

The 121st Regiment is associated with Engels-2 air base in the Saratov Region, one of Russia’s key strategic aviation airfields. On August 28, long-range drones operated by the SSU’s Special Operations Center “A” hit a Russian Tu-95MS there.

Another person killed was Maj. Andrei Lobanov, deputy commander of a Tu-95MS aviation squadron of military unit 75715. According to 24 Kanal, on May 29, 2023, Lobanov carried out a combat sortie as the commander of a Tu-95MS, during which the crew launched six air-launched missiles in succession at critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

Intensive Use of Tu-95MS Aircraft

The crash occurred amid a significant workload on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. Following Ukrainian strikes on strategic aviation airfields, Russia began actively moving Tu-95MS aircraft between Engels-2 air base and Ukrainka in the Amur Region.

At Engels-2, the aircraft can undergo preparation and be armed with Kh-101 cruise missiles before combat sorties, while the remote Ukrainka air base is used, among other purposes, to disperse strategic aviation and reduce its vulnerability to Ukrainian attacks.

As a result, the bombers have to make lengthy flights between the Russian Far East and the European part of Russia. The total range of an individual combat sortie can exceed 12,000 kilometers, while its duration can approach 24 hours.

Such a workload accelerates wear on the aircraft, many of which were manufactured during the Soviet era, while also increasing the burden on flight crews and maintenance personnel.